


Aftermath

by alinedel05



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Rating: PG13, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-08
Updated: 2013-04-08
Packaged: 2017-12-07 21:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/753139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alinedel05/pseuds/alinedel05
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Missing scene from Dead Reckoning. My view on what happened in between the bomb vest being defused and Bear greeting Reese back at the library.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my betas farmgirl1964 and Jay513. They surely helped me take this fic to another level.

“In the end we’re all alone and no one is coming to save you.” That was the line going through Reese’s mind as he pushed open the door to the roof. Sure enough, Carter and Fusco had tried to help him, to save him. Yet he just couldn’t risk their lives that much to save his. Reese took a deep breath and embraced what he thought would be the last minutes of his life.

“So I see I’m not too late.” Finch’s voice came from close by. At first, Reese thought he was dreaming, hallucinating, how could Finch had climbed 21 flights of stairs just to get to him? But it was real, Finch was there once again trying to save him. 

After that, everything went by in a flash. From trying to talk Finch out of helping, going as far as pointing a gun at him, to the bomb being defused with just seven seconds left. They both breathed a great sigh of relief and seconds later heard the explosion of Snow’s bomb. That was the perfect cue to exit the building since all the authorities had rushed to the corner to analyze the recent explosion.

“Come on John, let’s get out of here.”

They walked for about two blocks until Finch spotted his car. As soon as they got in, Reese used all his knowledge to permanently defuse the bomb and remove the vest. He carefully placed it on the backseat. It was a good feeling to no longer have to wear 12 pounds of explosives. The rest of the ride was silent. Reese’s exhaustion finally caught up with him and he dozed off as Finch drove. 

Reese woke up to a halt when Finch’s right hand gently brushed at his shoulder.

“Pardon me for waking you Mr. Reese, but we are here.”

Here meant John’s loft, his home, which he had lost hope of ever seeing again after all the recent events. Reese was still a little sleep groggy so he leaned on Finch for support, just to be sure he wouldn’t stumble or fall down. It felt great to be back, to be next to the one person that truly understood him and would go through all means necessary to be sure he was safe and sound. 

“Finch, if you don’t mind, I’m going to take a shower. I can’t even remember when my last decent one was.” Reese said as soon as Finch locked the door behind him, using his spare key.

“By all means Mr. Reese, go ahead. Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay here with you tonight.”

“I’m glad I didn’t even have to ask.”

From the kitchen, Finch could hear the sound of the water running. He poured a glass of orange juice for Reese to drink while they ate the Chinese food that had been picked on the way over. Finch imagined that if Reese had behaved with Stanton like he had while he was kidnapped by Root, he would be famished. He thought about how odd and funny it was that they now had something else in common. They had both been abducted by female nemeses. In the end, he wondered if that would be good so they could help each other cope with everything. Finch remembered how kind and concerned Reese was after he had come back, and how going out for a beer had led to such a nice sharing and bonding experience. Finch had opened up and spoken about his feelings and all he went through while in Root’s possession. Reese was so keen to listen and offer advice and comfort. It had also been an unforgettable day because it was the first time they spent the night together, doing much more than just talking.

Finch’s thoughts were interrupted when he heard the bathroom door opening and saw Reese coming out with just a towel around his waist. As he walked toward Finch, the shorter man could see some scrapes and bruises on Reese’s chest from wearing the bomb vest and a deeper wound above his left eyebrow. He guessed they could count themselves lucky for this was all the physical damage Reese had sustained. 

“Enjoying the view, Harold?” Reese asked with a teasing smile after a couple of minutes.

“I was just wondering if you needed any help tending to your wounds before we have dinner.” Finch replied.

Both men knew that Reese was perfectly capable of taking care of them by himself, as he had an infinite number of times before. Even so he let Finch help him, he was too tired to do it and Reese could never get enough of Finch’s touch, which he had missed so much.

Finch ordered Reese to lie down in bed while he got the first aid kit and some ice packs from the freezer which would help with the bruises. Finch sat on the edge of the bed and began applying the ice packs to Reese’s chest and shoulders. The taller man winced from the cold and the slight discomfort, but he closed his eyes and tried to relax as Finch relieved the pain on his sore muscles. Had Reese been with anyone else, he’d never admit that he was in pain. But he knew that he didn’t need to hide anything from Finch, the only person in this world that he trusted unconditionally. 

When he was done treating the bruises, Finch cleaned all the cuts and scrapes with antiseptic wipes and applied some ointment to them, placing bandages on the bigger ones. The last one he tended to was the one right above Reese’s eyebrow. He used a towel dipped in lukewarm water and antibacterial liquid soap and gently ran it over the wound until it was completely clean. After drying it with one end of the towel, Finch closed it with butterfly stitches so it wouldn’t scar. As he was done doing this, Finch noticed that the right side of Reese’s face was red and swollen. He pressed his fingers on the region to be sure that the cheekbone wasn’t broken and Reese gasped and squeezed his already shut eyes. Finch used some ice cubes wrapped in a towel to reduce the pain, making sure not to keep them for too long in the same place so it wouldn’t burn Reese’s skin. He kept patting it all around the tender region.

When Finch was finished, he saw that Reese had drifted off once again. Finch thought about letting the tired man sleep but decided that he really needed to eat something first. He lightly ran a hand over Reese’s damp hair and inhaled a pleasant smell. A mix of mint and citrus from the shampoo, along with Reese’s own indescribable yet unmistakable scent, a combination which Finch’s senses had learned to memorize. Pressing a kiss to Reese’s forehead made him lazily open his green eyes. A pair of bespectacled blue ones stared right back at him.

“I’m terribly sorry to wake you yet again John, I know you need your sleep, but I just can’t allow you to starve any longer; it won’t do you any good.”

Reese didn’t protest because he was sure that part of his tiredness was due to starvation. Both men walked back to the kitchen where they enjoyed their meals in virtual silence.

After putting the dirty dishes in the sink, Finch went to the bathroom to take care of his own personal hygiene and change to a comfortable pair of burgundy silk pajamas. Ever since they had become engaged in a serious relationship, Reese had found space in his closet where Finch could store some of his clothes.  
When Finch returned, he found Reese already in bed, wearing black boxer briefs and a worn and close to tearing white shirt, which was his idea of comfort. Reese was lying on his left side, his favorite sleeping position. 

Being careful to not wake the other man, Finch slowly slid up to Reese’s body from behind until he could wrap an arm around the muscular chest, which he had missed touching. He lightly ran his hand from collarbones to abdomen, lingering a little longer on Reese’s nipples. His hand settled down on Reese’s left pectoral, and feeling heartbeats with the palm of his hand, Finch fell asleep. 

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hours later, Finch woke up to the low sound of crying. He didn’t even need to lift his head. He could sense from the hand that was still resting on Reese’s chest where it was coming from. Ever since they had met, Finch had watched Reese display a variety of emotions that ranged from sheer rage to sadness, yet never once had he seen or heard the ex-soldier cry. Finch used his hands to turn the other man around in bed so they were facing each other. He saw a pair of red eyes, and moist cheeks that were covered with tear tracks. When Finch tried to look into Reese’s eyes, he quickly closed them. Finch propped himself up in one elbow and gently ran the back of his other hand over one of Reese’s wet cheeks, a gentle caress just to comfort him. 

“John, talk to me, why are you crying? Did something happen while I was asleep?”

“Everything is fine Harold, just, just leave me alone. I don’t deserve this life you’ve given me, I don’t deserve Carter and Fusco’s trust and friendship and I certainly don’t deserve you.” Reese replied in a tearful voice.

“Now why would you say such terrible things John?” 

“No matter how much I try to fix things, to leave my past behind me and move on, I always end up messing everything up. None of this would’ve happened if I hadn’t been so careless back at the bank.” 

Finch laid back with his back supported by pillows propped against the headboard and brought Reese’s head to rest on his lap. The rest of the taller man’s body was curled in a ball, like a helpless child. Finch ran his fingers through Reese’s hair, his other hand gently stroking the other man’s back as he softly spoke as close as he could to Reese’s ear.

“Now John, I don’t ever want to hear you say those things again. We all make mistakes and we all have ghosts from our past that eventually may come back to haunt us. The outcome from what happened at the bank was totally unexpected so it’s not your fault. You can’t beat yourself up over it.”

“I’m sorry Harold, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I can’t meet up to your expectations. I should be more grateful to you and for all that you’ve done for me.”

“John, listen to me. You’re exactly everything I expected. You’re human, we all have our flaws, I’m more than willing to accept yours because they’re meaningless to me. In my eyes, you’re perfect and you can never let me down. Just never forget this.” Finch was speaking from his heart and was almost breaking down himself when he ended his speech.

Yet, no matter what he said, Reese kept crying and Finch just hated seeing him in this broken state. Part of it was probably due to the rush of adrenaline that filled him over the last few days finally leaving Reese’s body, but still it just made Finch feel miserable as each tear drop fell on his lap.

“John, hey, everything is fine now, you’re safe here with me and I won’t let anything happen to you. Just try to calm down, I’m here for you, we’ll work this out together. I love you and I’m not going anywhere.”

“I love you too Harold, more than I can ever prove to you.” Reese managed to say in between sobs.

“You don’t have to prove me anything John.” 

It took Finch some time and a lot more encouraging words, but eventually, the other man settled down. When Finch retrieved his hand from Reese’s hair, Reese immediately searched for it and placed it again where it once was. Finch just smiled and proceeded with the caresses, his other hand wiping away the tears from Reese’s eyes and cheeks with a handkerchief he had left by the bedside table. Reese blinked and smiled as Finch very lightly ran a fingertip back and forth over his eyelashes, tickling him a little bit. 

Reese turned his face and softly kissed Finch’s hand. He sat up and brought his lips close to Finch’s and they shared a soft kiss. Reese put a hand on the back of Finch’s neck and he was pressing harder and harder as the kiss grew more passionate. But, if Finch felt any discomfort, he didn’t let it show, nor did he interrupt  
the kiss.

“Now, go back to sleep John, you need the rest.” Finch said as they stopped kissing.

“Will it cause you any pain if I lay down on your chest, Harold?”

“Not particularly.”

So, Finch lay back down and allowed Reese to rest his weary head on his chest. Finch put both his arms around Reese, his hands hanging just short of Reese’s thighs. He gently lifted the end of Reese’s shirt until his stomach was exposed and lightly rubbed it, occasionally letting a finger explore inside Reese’s belly button. The broken man just let out a soft moan and adjusted his position, feeling completely safe and comfortable with Finch’s body so close to him. It didn’t take him long to go back to sleep.

On the other hand, Finch just couldn’t close his eyes and rest. The way his partner had broken down made him worry about Reese’s feelings after the roller coaster ride of the last few days. He remembered the panic attack he had as an outcome of his kidnapping by Root and wondered if Reese would have to endure such things as well. Finch always had this idea of Reese being an unbreakable fortress, but he guessed that even the strongest person could eventually crack, and he had to be there to mend the pieces, to make Reese whole once again. 

Finch knew it would be a challenge to make Reese open up and talk to him about his feelings. Even though they eventually exchanged small details about their lives, heart to heart talks weren’t chief among their relationship. But, he had to try it.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

When Finch opened his eyes the next morning, Reese was still deeply asleep. He managed to lift the other man’s head from his chest and place it on a soft pillow without waking Reese. Finch wriggled out of bed and went out quickly to buy breakfast at a nearby bakery that he knew was one of Reese’s favorites. His idea was to coax Reese into letting his walls down and talk about his feelings. Thankfully, the machine hadn’t warned him of a new number, so Finch had the whole day.

It was late morning when Finch finished setting up breakfast and went to wake Reese up with soft kisses on his forehead.

“Good morning John. Hope you had a good night’s sleep.”

Reese just grunted, ran a hand across his face and stretched his arms and legs. 

“I hope you have an appetite, I brought breakfast.” Finch said as he set the bed table by Reese’s side. 

Finch sat and just watched the other man eat, not saying a word. 

“What?” Reese asked when he was done. “Why are you staring at me with those concerned eyes?”

“John you need to talk to me. I can’t allow you to just keep your feelings to yourself after what you’ve been through.”

“I don’t need to talk about anything Finch, I’m fine.”

“Then do explain to me what that was all about last night. Someone who is fine wouldn’t break down like you did.”

“It was just a moment of weakness, I think I’m entitled to that.”

But Finch wasn’t about to admit defeat so easily. He worked on a different tactic. He thought that maybe if he shared something personal, something that Reese didn’t know already, it would get to him. 

So, Finch began to tell Reese about his past, how his life was when Nathan was his partner. Finch told Reese how he had lied about the machine’s backdoor, that it was Nathan’s doing all along ,and how he was selfish, insensitive and never cared about the irrelevant numbers. Not until he had to say goodbye to the two most important people in his life, Nathan and Grace, both at once. He told Reese he didn’t know which of the losses had hurt more. Ingram was gone, forever and it was his fault. Finch said he was unable to realize back then that Nathan was doing just what he said he would, help the irrelevants. It eventually cost him his life. And Grace, he had her and didn’t have her at the same time. Sure, he could spend days and days outside her house, lurking in the dark, watching her come and go, but he could never talk to her again. Not that Finch still loved her, he was with Reese now and he was all that mattered, but he wished he could apologize, tell her the truth and why he had done what he did. 

Finch laid his soul bare to Reese for more than one hour, telling even more than he had expected, about feelings and insecurities that he wasn’t aware he had himself. When he was done, he waited for Reese to say something, anything at all. But he just stood there, his face deprived of any reaction just as before Finch had started talking.

Realizing that it was all for nothing, Finch finally admitted defeat, sighed and got up from bed. But, just as he was getting out of reach, Reese grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. 

“Harold, I’m sorry…” Reese’s voice was barely a whisper.

“When all this happened we had yet to meet John, so nothing could have been done.” Finch replied with his eyes closed.

“No, it’s not that. I mean I’m sorry I pointed a gun at you. I know I shouldn’t have done that, I know how you feel about firearms and I shouldn’t have tried to stop you from helping me.” 

Finch knew he had him with this confession. He sat back in bed, Reese’s legs on his lap as he absent mindedly ran his hands up and down his shins, lightly massaging his knees.

Reese went on. “Kara told me I was disposable and it didn’t even hurt me because I believe it’s the truth. I felt that it would be better if I had just died. It seems that all I give to people near me is pain and concern. That’s why I don’t like to get attached to anybody, I hate causing unnecessary hurt. Things were fine before you came into my life, but you made me want to care again, you gave me a reason to live, but even so I still hurt you. I can’t keep doing that anymore. I didn’t feel hopeless while I was in Stanton’s possession, I was ready to embrace the fact that I was going to die and I was fine with it. At least it would mean that I would stop hurting you and everyone that cares about me.”

“John, I can’t believe these thoughts even go through your mind. Do you actually believe that your death would help with anything? You hurt me a lot more when you try to keep me away than when you let me in. I want to be a part of your life through the good and the bad and I don’t want you to ever second guess yourself again, do you understand me? I’m here for you, whenever you feel like talking and I know that you know that. Don’t shy away from me, not now, not ever, I can’t bear to lose you. You’re not disposable, the world needs you, and above all, I need you.” 

Finch placed Reese’s legs back on bed and straddled the other man. Closing the distance between them, he painfully bent his neck down and brushed his lips against Reese’s, who quickly opened his mouth and granted access. The kiss was long, passionate. As Finch’s tongue explored the inside of Reese’s mouth, his hands wandered around the other man’s neck and shoulders. Reese’s hands locked around the small of Finch’s back, gently caressing the skin underneath the clothes and pulling him even closer. The older man pulled back from the kiss and let his lips travel to the side of Reese’s neck, and then up to his ear, which he softly nibbled and explored with his tongue. He had missed this closeness, this intimacy. 

“Thank you for looking after me and caring about my feelings. Words are not enough to express how much you mean to me. I love you so much.” Reese said as he stroked Finch’s hair.

“I love you too John, more than I’ve ever loved anyone else. And I thank you for walking into my life and making me feel this way. Just promise me that you’ll never feel that dying is the best way to go, ever again.”

“I’ll certainly try that.”

Reese let Finch know a lot more on his thoughts about life, death and what was right and wrong. He told him stories about when he, Snow and Stanton worked together, about how he was always on the edge, not knowing if he’d make through the day alive and that even though they were partners, neither would risk saving him like Finch had, more than once. He talked about how Kara had eventually become his lover. How she had manipulated him and kept him exactly where she wanted and how naïve he was for believing her promises. Then how he realized she wasn’t anything he’d expected when she shot him without thinking twice. Just like it had happened to Finch, all these bad past moments shaped him into the person he was now. Trust, love and friendship were feelings that felt so foreign to him and he was just learning how to experience them again with Finch. 

It was late afternoon when they were done talking. They did nothing aside from eating and talking for the rest of the day. Reese still had a lot of rest and sleep to catch up on, so he fell asleep early while Finch was once again treating his swollen face with ice. Finch gently put Reese in his favorite sleeping position, covered him with a blanket and just watched him sleep for some time. Much later, when he went to bed, he assumed his protective cuddling position, the sound of Reese’s breathing serving as white noise for his tired mind. 

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Finch left straight for the library very early on the next day and began working on the new number the machine had given him before dawn. Reese arrived some hours later and was happily greeted by Bear. The dog jumped at him and knocked him down on the floor, which made him smile like he hadn’t for so long. From the other side, Finch watched them both. When his eyes met Reese’s, he let out a shy smile. Even though he was glad to see Reese in a happy moment, he knew he’d still have a lot of work to do helping Reese change his dark thoughts on life and death.


End file.
